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Students who leave school early is an issue of global concern, and various measures have been taken to help early leavers return to school, including second chance education programmes. This qualitative case study explores their reasons for continuing education in a second chance education programme in a successful educational centre located in Ceuta, a unique Spanish city. Our findings indicate that there is a complex interplay of educational, family and economical aspects pushing and pulling the participants to resume education, but that their beliefs on these factors and their agency are key in this process. These findings can contribute to prevent disengagement and leaving from education and training in the future by informing the measures for educational reintegration.

In this article, which is part of a broader investigation based on the study of the educational and socio-occupational reengagement processes of young people in vulnerable situations, the curricular design of the vocational training programs (VTP) is described. Further, the curricular practices developed in the classrooms of these programs are analyzed, based, above all, on how the contents are selected, as well as the methodological approaches for their development. The research methodology that was followed responds to the conduct of multiple case studies with the integration of quantitative and qualitative processes. The data collection instruments used for this purpose were questionnaires, interviews, and discussion groups. The conclusions reveal the selection of contents that are relevant, interesting, and close to the reality of the students. The development of these contents is displayed through varied methodological strategies and diverse activities that enhance the students’ involvement and the practical sense of their learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]